§ On the Order of the Day for going into Committee on the Lighthouse Bill being ready,
Mr. Goulburnsaid, he wished to put a question to the hon. the Secretary of the Admiralty, not certainly on the subject of lighthouses, but in reference to maritime concerns, and therefore not entirely unconnected with that subject. It would be recollected that, some time ago he had called the attention of the House to the unhappy loss of two convict ships, which were wrecked on their voyage to New South Wales. It was the general understanding of the House that care should be taken in future to select seaworthy vessels for this service. Now, he understood that two ships, second-class ships, he believed, had been recently taken up for this purpose; the one, the Marquess of Huntly, had been built thirty-two years, and the other, the Bengal Merchant, was twenty-four years old, having been built in the your 1812. He understood that these ships had been taken up by Government for the conveyance of convicts to New South Wales, and he wished to know whether that was the fact or not.
§ Mr. Charles Woodreplied, that although it was quite true that two ships had been lost, neither in one case nor in the other had the catastrophe occurred in consequence of any want of seaworthiness in the vessels, one of which was lost in making a dangerous passage during the night, and the other in consequence of the neglect of the master, and his ignorance of the coast. It had been agreed that all ships taken up for the transport service, should be of the class ranked A 1; and he assured the right hon. Gentleman, that a strict survey was always made by the proper officer, and the Lords of the Admiralty did not feel themselves satisfied until they received the Report of that officer. Immediately after the discussion which took place on this subject on a former occasion, he directed a full inquiry to be instituted into this service, and no vessel was finally taken up until she had been 139 strictly surveyed and reported to be seaworthy. With regard to the two vessels named by his right hon. Friend, it so happened that one of them was not engaged to be sent out on this service. The other which had been accepted took out convicts last year, and returned with a large and valuable cargo, which she delivered in safety. The Bengal Merchant, which was built at Calcutta in 1812, was a teak ship, and therefore must not be considered in the same light as a vessel built of a less durable material. In conclusion, he assured the right hon. Gentleman, that no pains either had been, or would be spared on the part of the Admiralty, to engage ships duly qualified for the service.
§ Subject dropped.